Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Blackwell's Island 1903


Footage shot from a moving boat by Thomas Edison. Notice the bases of the towers of the QB bridge being built.

6 comments:

georgetheatheist said...

Thanks Crapper for the historic post. It was credited to the Edison Company. Do you have any info on why it was filmed?

ROOSEVELT ISLANDER said...

the film was shot in 1903 of Blackwell's Island which is now Roosevelt Island. I have some additional information on my blog Roosevelt Islander about the film here.
http://rooseveltislander.blogspot.com/2007/07/historic-1903-film-of-roosevelt.html

Also, for anyone interested, here is a video of a more recent trip in the same area.
http://rooseveltislander.blogspot.com/2007/10/sailing-east-river-past-roosevelt.html

Anonymous said...

...probably just for the entertainment value. Headquartered in Jersey, Edison made a whole bunch of mini-flicks like this. Back then people could be entertained by such subjects, unlike modern-day audiences who refuse to watch anything unless it has tons of gratuitous sex, violence, and cussing in it, e.g.:

"&#%@%&#%!!!"

georgetheatheist said...

Roosevelt Islander:

The 4 smokestacks in Manhattan, seen at the outset of the film, the Rupert Brewery in later-named Yorkville?

The Octagon at 00:35?

I don't see the Blackwell farmhouse. Would you kindly state where using the timing notation.

There's a nice house just to the left of the Bridge foundation at ca 01:35. Any ID info on this?

Finally, what is the turreted building on the Manhattan side at ca 02:14?

Thanks.

Queens Crapper said...

This came from the Library of Congress.

RI 360 said...

George:

I believe those are the Rupert Brewery smokestacks but I will ask some friends at the RI Historial Society to confirm. That is the Octagon at 00:35

At 01:10 you may notice the film jumps as I believe the film was spliced together and Blackwell House was lost in the lost seconds as it woudl be before the open field that precedes the Bridge supports.